ABD vs Disney Cruise

Earning My Ears

At this moment we have the Disney Baltic cruise booked for next July, if we keep this we will probably at a couple of nights post cruise in Copenhagen. After looking at ABD we can do the Norway or Germany for the same price as the cruise (both places we have wanted to travel). We have cruised with Disney multiple times in the Caribbean so we know what to expect from a cruise. We are a family of 3, our DD will be 13 at the time. If anyone has any advice on which one they would pick or have traveled on any of the above, please give me some advice. Thanks.

DIS Veteran

At this moment we have the Disney Baltic cruise booked for next July, if we keep this we will probably at a couple of nights post cruise in Copenhagen. After looking at ABD we can do the Norway or Germany for the same price as the cruise (both places we have wanted to travel). We have cruised with Disney multiple times in the Caribbean so we know what to expect from a cruise. We are a family of 3, our DD will be 13 at the time. If anyone has any advice on which one they would pick or have traveled on any of the above, please give me some advice. Thanks.

Earning My Ears

They’re hard to compare. For me they are completely different vacations. I like cruising when I want to kick back and relax. I don’t really expect to see or learn much. It’s more about the cruising experience. I really prefer ABD for seeing and learning a bit more of the destinations. My daughter has loved ABD over the years and has always really bonded with other kids on the trip. She was 8 on the first trip and will be 18 on the next trip. Although she’s had good experiences with the youth/teen clubs on the ships it’s really nothing compared to ABD.

Earning My Ears

At this moment we have the Disney Baltic cruise booked for next July, if we keep this we will probably at a couple of nights post cruise in Copenhagen. After looking at ABD we can do the Norway or Germany for the same price as the cruise (both places we have wanted to travel). We have cruised with Disney multiple times in the Caribbean so we know what to expect from a cruise. We are a family of 3, our DD will be 13 at the time. If anyone has any advice on which one they would pick or have traveled on any of the above, please give me some advice. Thanks.

I've been on both the Baltic Disney Cruise (12 night) and the Germany ABD (before the itinerary change 2-3 years ago). As someone mentioned before, they are very different types of trips, but I absolutely loved both. It depends on what you are looking for. If you want to see many different countries and have more time to yourself, the cruise is a good choice. The European cruises are really different from the Caribbean cruises as there are usually more stops multiple days in a row, and the excursions are much more busy with historical sightseeing, etc. unlike beach days in the Caribbean. However if you want to have a much more in depth look at one country and get a much more immersive experience, and you like traveling with a group (I actually love it), then an ABD trip might be a great choice. The ABD guides are really wonderful with the kids, and the travel experience is much more personal than the cruise. I've been on 4 Disney Cruises and 4 ABD's and am about to go on my fifth of each next year. Best wishes in making your choice....it's a wonderful "dilemma" to resolve.

DIS Veteran

I've been on both the Baltic Disney Cruise (12 night) and the Germany ABD (before the itinerary change 2-3 years ago). As someone mentioned before, they are very different types of trips, but I absolutely loved both. It depends on what you are looking for. If you want to see many different countries and have more time to yourself, the cruise is a good choice. The European cruises are really different from the Caribbean cruises as there are usually more stops multiple days in a row, and the excursions are much more busy with historical sightseeing, etc. unlike beach days in the Caribbean. However if you want to have a much more in depth look at one country and get a much more immersive experience, and you like traveling with a group (I actually love it), then an ABD trip might be a great choice. The ABD guides are really wonderful with the kids, and the travel experience is much more personal than the cruise. I've been on 4 Disney Cruises and 4 ABD's and am about to go on my fifth of each next year. Best wishes in making your choice....it's a wonderful "dilemma" to resolve.

This is such a good description of an ABD trip vs. a Disney cruise. We did the Austria/Czech ABD the first year it was introduced and have been on a number of DCL cruises including two in Europe. I completely agree with ABDGurl. If you are looking for a more in-depth, immersive, cultural experience and enjoy group travel and getting to know others, ABD is the way to go. If you prefer spending more time just with your family and getting a nice overview of port cities/towns, DCL is the way to go. With DCL, you also get to settle into one room whereas you will, typically, going from hotel to hotel on an ABD. DCL is a bit more relaxing, IMHO, depending on which port adventures you choose - we always seemed to have a little more downtime to just relax even on the Europe cruises. We loved them both. It really just depends on what type of experience you are looking for.

Inventor of Air Cooling

I'd just echo what others have said. ABD is more in depth. You experience a lot more, but it's also less relaxing. The cruises are a nice balance of touring around during the day and relaxing and enjoying the ship at night. We've done several European DCL itineraries as wells as European ABD's. I could make an argument for either. Overall, I prefer ABD.